Can I Play With Madness?
by i'll kill you
Summary: How could Ichigo ruin the lives of those around him? Read and find out. Rated T to be safe.


Can I Play With Madness?

by i'll kill you

It was raining heavily that day.

A party of four scoured the woods that lied outside of Seiretei. Flashes of lightning broke the unholy darkness that clouded the blurred terrain of the tree-covered forest. Soaking wet, they pursued through the thick stray stems that acted more like bulwarks than woods. The trees swayed freely to the nomadic winds that blew here and there, though strong in nature, occurred pretty much seldom. Roars of loud thunder breached the deafening silence of the black terrain. Here four iron-willed people dared to stray.

"…uh…Kurosaki-taichou, are you sure about the report they gave us?"

A brown-haired girl looked up to a certain orange-haired shinigami who wore a white haori and supported a slung life-sized zanpakuto on his back, something that looked more like an oversized kitchen knife than a weapon.

"Well, they said that a badass hollow showed up and escaped through a path here in the woods. I'll bet that when it sniffs us out, it'll come out anyway. Damn vasto lorde. Why the hell do they have to show up here, anyway? Ruining a good break for me…"

The captain managed to scoff and scowl under the tense condition that they found themselves. Chasing a sheer-powerful hollow in those conditions drove him to the limits of his patience. His reiatsu was spiking every now and then with the rhythm of his mood. Another captain who came along with them furrowed his brows in contempt. His haori revealed a deep mark of the symbol ten against the beaten wetness of the cloth.

"Don't complain about it. As a captain, you should know better than your stupid whims, Kurosaki."

The former muttered something under his breath and proceeded silently. A raven-haired girl who stood just at about the chest of the Ichigo followed them silently, but every now and then letting out a sigh with how the orange-haired captain acted. She made no move that would involve her much into their discussion. Somehow, staying that way was better than the other.

A rustle in the bushes made them suddenly stop in their tracks. They suddenly felt a strange surge in reiatsu level that was crazed in such a level that it felt like someone was smothering them. They reached for their respective zanpakuto as the raging of the reiatsu continued. Out of the deep darkness came out two shadows, one just about the height of a human being, while another about as tall as Komamura. They drew their weapons when the two finally came out of hiding. Two masked creatures revealed themselves; one smaller than the other, and had features much like a human except the color of its skin which was a pure white and a hole on its neck; the other was sheer in size, a great lizard-like creature with claw marks on its forehead and a hole in its chest.

Ichigo scoffed. "At least we don't have to look for them anymore."

The smaller of the two replied. "My, my, it seems that they're taking us lightly, Vesuvius," he said, referring to its companion.

"Tch. Damn shinigami. Ya should know better than to underestimate us, 'cause ya ain't gonna ever talk lightly about them hollows, ya punk. How about we show these assholes a little wrath, eh, Azagtoth?"

The large hollow disappeared in the blink of an eye. It reappeared right behind Ichigo and dropped its large hand in an attempt to crush him. He raised his blade and managed to brush of the attack with ease. It jumped away while the other one, Azagtoth, rushed at him with a straight punch tempered with a menacing level of reiatsu. He swung his blade forward, blocking now the punch of the fierce enemy. While he faced the smaller of the two, Vesuvius rushed at the other three. It was able to approach Hinamori at a speed she wasn't able to catch up with, and its large hand further grew in size, then scooping up the startled lieutenant like a playtoy and slowly crushing the air out of her. It laughed viciously while he delivered his insane attack at her.

"Ban kai."

It turned its head and saw a raging Hitsugaya in ban kai form, with a sword rushing at it. The blade pierced the arm that held on to Hinamori, though not able to cut it off, was able to deal enough damage to make it release the iron grip it had. The hollow pulled back, jumping a few feet away from its attacker. It opened its mouth and charged a compressed form of reiatsu. It fired it off towards its opponent.

The white-haired captain looked startled. He warned out. "Cero!"

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

A circular formation of ice appeared between the captain and the incoming blast, taking the damage for him and Hinamori. The hollow cursed and proceeded to attack the small shinigami but stopped when a burst of pink energy hit it. It turned to see another zanpakuto released with its wielder having recovered from his previous move. It was not able to see a quick move from the tenth division captain with his sword directed at it, and with the final stab he tore through the hollow's mask, which after contact turned the large creature into a solid ice statue. Hitsugaya pulled back his blade, causing the ice to break along with the hollow. As the shards fell, the hollow slowly disintegrated into nothing more but a speck of dust.

* * *

The shinigami robes that the orange-haired captain wore were already replaced by a peculiar black cloak. He wielded a black blade with a jutting chain at the end of its hilt. He fired off a black concentration of energy towards the small hollow, but was unsuccessful in destroying it. It blocked it off with an arm and afterwards propelled itself like a cannonball towards the warrior with the black ban kai, its body now fully tempered in its raging reiatsu. He stepped sideways to dodge it, and connecting with a quick spin move he plunged his sword through the back of its head, tearing through it. It finally fell to the ground unable to fight, but even with its head torn, was surprisingly still alive. He stood next to it while the hollow started to bleed to death. It laughed menacingly, like it was nothing more but a really good joke.

Ichigo's brows furrowed. "What's so funny?"

It was still slowly silencing itself when it spoke. "Nothing much, it's just that I know now why Aizen-sama had his eyes on you for a while. That was a great performance, kid! I know now why Aizen-sama needed me in the first place…"

He scoffed. "Still working for someone who's already dead, huh? That's pretty lame."

"…wakey-wakey, little monster… do not forget who you really are, Kurosaki Ichigo…" it said before laughing a little more.

His eyes widened with suspicion as well as confusion. He raised his voice. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"…heehee… I'll show you… the REAL you… hahahahahaha!!!!"

A surge of reiatsu shot Ichigo, sending him flying away to a nearby tree. With that final shot, the hollow disappeared into thin air.

"Ichigo!"

"Kurosaki-taichou!"

The three quickly ran over to where Ichigo seemingly landed. Smoke still precluded themfrom seeing him clearly. All they could see was his shadow slowly walking out of the mess. They could tell that his head was bowed, not straying its gaze from the ground. They could not see his face. Inside his head rang an eerie darkness and out of it a blood-thirsty voice that spoke to him.

_Time to show you what it means to be king, Ichigo…_

"…K-Kurosaki-taichou?" the brown-haired shinigami queried. The figure, still in his ban kai, disappeared all of a sudden.

And before they knew it, a black blade found itself completely plunged in Hinamori's stomach. She coughed up blood before looking up to the black figure that stood before him with a confused gleam in her eyes. She was startled when she saw his face.

Bits of white slowly formed on his face, now covering nearly half of his face. His pupils have changed from brown to yellow. The white of his eyes had been replaced by a deep black. He laughed menacingly at the sight.

"…K-Kurosaki-taichou-"

He cut her off. "SHUT UP, YA LITTLE BITCH!!" he shouted before twisting the blade and ripping clean through her ribs upward, making an exit from her gut to her right shoulder. Blood showered from the sheer amount of force he applied from pulling the blade out. She fell barely breathing, her eyes still startled. He stepped on her stomach which made her wail in pain, and added an insane, sinister laugh while he did so.

"HINAMORI!!!!" the white-haired captain shouted. A gleam of mixed fear and concern broke his cold mask.

She looked at him with her passionate eyes, and made a faint whisper as a reply. "…H-Hitsugaya-kun…" The black figure cut her off by once more stepping on her and crushing her stomach. She screamed and pain as she coughed up a lot more blood. Ichigo…no, whoever it was, scoffed at her. His menacing tone sounded reverberated. Tears ran down from Hinamori's eyes as she was subjected to more pain.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up, you stupid little bitch?" He laughed menacingly. "This is how you use ban kai, Ichigo!"

"Stop it!" he turned to face Hitsugaya, now his hands clutched and shaking uncontrollably with anger. He barely managed to mutter a sentence with his teeth gritting with so much anguish. "You… get away from her…"

"Eh?" the creature seemed puzzled. "You tellin' me what to do, you little bastard?" He picked up Hinamori by the neck, and slowly started to squeeze the breath out of her. She moved her hands frantically as if trying to grasp for air. "What the hell do you care about if I kill her, anyway? Goin' to lose someone to hit on?"

He suddenly released his grip on her neck and jumped away from a blade aimed to pierce him. After doing so, Hitsugaya kneeled down to check on Hinamori, who was bleeding profusely from large gap in her chest. He raised her head up with one arm, and the other hand held on to hers. Her hand felt lifeless with a cold tinge creeping on her skin. Tears moved down on his cheeks, on those cheeks that were never used to it, that have never experienced it. They fell on her pale face, her soft eyes fixed on a gaze with his passionate ones. She forced herself to smile.

"…Sh-Shiro-chan…" He managed to smile weakly despite the tears that continuously ran down his cheek.

"…baka bed-wetter Momo… it's Hitsugaya-taichou to you…"

She managed to utter a weak laugh even in her mangled form. A little more and tears started to flow once more on her dried cheeks.

"…Sh-Shiro-chan…"

"Shhh… it's alright… we'll get you healed in no time…"

Her eyes welled with a glimmer of false hope. They shone but knew better that it was over. She was able to whisper one last time. "…sayonara and arigatou, Shiro-chan…"

She finally closed her eyes. Her hand fell away from Hitsugaya's soft lock. After a short embrace and with a dark face, he slowly lowered her down the soft grass-covered ground.

While he attended to Hinamori, Rukia had been trying to fend off the monstrosity Ichigo had become. With her zanpakuto in hand, she managed to fight him enough so that at least she would buy enough time for the real Ichigo to come out. She suffered from wounds inflicted on her chest and her left arm. She was barely able to dodge his attacks which were too quick for even a captain level, let alone an ordinary seated officer level.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Ichigo?! Fight him! Don't let him take you!"

"Sorry, Ichigo's not here." He laughed menacingly before suddenly stopping. His hand reached for the mask forming on his face. He started to sway frantically and swing around his sword like a madman.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! I'm using ban kai like you never could!" He let out a loud scream before breaking off the hateful mask.

"It's about time, Ichigo. You took a lot longer than I expected." The raven-haired shinigami pointed out. She smiled inwardly.

A large blast of reiatsu made them turn their heads to where it came from. There they met the dark figure of Hitsugaya, his reiatsu overflowing madly like steeds released from their reins. He held on tightly to his zanpakuto, now also brimming with spiritual pressure. His eyes, devoid of life, stared at Ichigo.

"Why Hinamori? She didn't do anything to you… why her? She was just a nice lieutenant trying to show concern for her captain… why? Hinamori… Hinamori…" he said blankly, more like a person who has been hypnotized.

"Hitsugaya-taichou, he didn't mean to do this… it was his hollow… he didn't want any of this to happen…" Rukia tried to argue. Apparently, Hitsugaya had been shattered more than they expected.

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Didn't want any of this?" He then raised his voice. "COULD YOU KILL HER WITHOUT WANTING ANY OF THIS?!" he then returned to his state of indifference, his voice colder than usual. He pointed his zanpakuto at Ichigo. "Prepare to die, Kurosaki Ichigo."

His reiatsu once more surged with a fierceness that he had not reached before. "Ban kai."

Ice wrapped around Hitsugaya's shadowy form, forming wings on his back and petals floating right above him. He rushed at the confused suspect of the crime.

Ichigo did not move. He was confused as to what should be done. He knew that his hollow has done the horrible feat of killing the sweet lieutenant. But he did not know what to do. The blade lunged at him at a frightening speed. It should stab him anytime.

Blood trickled down the cold blade of Hyourinmaru. It had pierced someone.

Rukia coughed blood as she held on to the sharp blade plunged through her chest. The blade had been barely stopped a few centimeters from Ichigo's face. Blood trickled and painted the ground a deep red.

"Ichigo… you dumbass… what do you think you're doing?" She managed to say softly.

Hitsugaya pulled the blade back, his face distorted by a mask of guilt of what he has done. He froze on his spot. Ichigo caught her body before it fell to the ground. He slowly kneeled with both his knees, letting her rest on his firm arms. He held her in a near embrace. A look of deep concern flashed in his eyes.

"You jerk… why'd you do that?"

She forced herself to smile. "D-Dumbass… you were about to g-get hit but you won't move your ass…"

"You stupid shortstop…"

"… I guess it's goodbye, then?"

"Yeah. And there isn't any going back."

"I know that. Well then, see you later."

"Yeah. Later."

She slowly closed her eyes, and Ichigo planted a soft kiss on her as she did. She was lifeless, yet her smile masked her face.

He trembled. His body shook violently as his teeth grit hardly. He held on to her but after a while just let her body drop to the ground. His body stopped shaking. His head was bowed down, but Hitsugaya knew something was not right.

Ichigo laughed maniacally. He stood and revealed his face. Once more, the hateful mask began to form. He shot out a large black wave of spiraling energy at Hitsugaya, who barely managed to dodge it and still took some damage.

"Thanks for killin' the bitch for me, asshole!" He broke into another fit of lunatic laughter, his voice clearly audible despite the loud peal of thunder. "Now that's settled, let me show you a little bit of gratitude…"

Another wave of energy burst from his black zanpakuto. And again, Hitsugaya barely managed to dodge it. He assumed a ready stance, his sword pointed at the enemy.

"Time to end this."

The two charged towards each other, their blades wailing with the great amount of reiatsu pumped into them. In a nick of a second, their blades crossed, and a large explosion reduced the forest to ashes, and smoke fogged the vision of those who try to peer into it.

* * *

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